


canaries never die

by mikkal



Series: junk in my trunk (and my documents folder) [2]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Because laurel lance's death was bullshit, Fix-It, Incomplete, Laurel lance defense squad, Um sir there's a canary in your fridge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-05-27
Packaged: 2018-11-05 11:06:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11012175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikkal/pseuds/mikkal
Summary: Because Laurel's death was bullshit.Laurel fakes her death with a little bit of help and moves to be a hero in Central City where she'll be appreciated as the three dimensional person with real growth that she is.a permanently incomplete Laurel Lives AU





	canaries never die

“It’s time to make yourself proud and everyone else a little nervous.”

—asw.721

* * *

 

**PotatoJonestheIII** @onceuponablur

Totally just saw # _BlackCanary_ and # _Flash_ fighting the Trickster on main. # _itsbeenthreemonths_ #what

08:15 AM – 02 July 20** – via. Tweetdeck

 

* * *

 

**April**

Running on her own free will with jogging shoes is a lot different than being ran far, far away at slightly slower than the speed of sound, being carried by the Flash - no - by _Barry_.

For one thing, the scenery moves nauseatingly fast, a blur of color like someone took a brush through wet paint. Another thing is the air seems thinner, pulled through a vacuum. She wants to know what it’s like for him. Are his lungs reinforced? Is he just use to it? Or something else?

Laurel swallows thickly, burying her face against his chest to quell the breakfast threatening to come back up. Too fast, how can he stand it?

He skids to a well-controlled stop, holding her for a little longer so she can get her bearings. When the urge to vomit eases she pulls her face away from his suit to see the Cortex of STAR Labs in all it’s glory. In the two years Team Flash has been active, she’s never been here before.

It’s white and shiny, lived in, and filled with somber faces.

Barry sets her down carefully, hand on her shoulders like she’s going to wobble to the ground. She’s not, but she appreciates the gesture. Cisco breaks away from the group first and engulfs her in a tight, warm hug. Laurel laughs softly and hugs him back, faintly aware of lightning behind them as Barry runs off again.

The first thing she sees when they part from is the mannequin for the Flash suit? Next to it, though?

Next to it is a mannequin donned with the Black Canary suit.

_Her_ suit.

Laurel covers her mouth to muffle the gasp and takes a step closer.

No. It’s not the Black Canary one she knows. This one has a black bustier reinforced with ribbing and two large shoulder straps, stretched black leggings, combat boots, a domino mask. The dark blue leather jacket is her favorite, it would reach just under her ribs when she wears it and it has two matching stylized yellow canaries stitched on either shoulder.

“Your other one was ruined,” Cisco says. “And I didn’t think you’d want to spend your hero days in a uniform you, uh, died in.”

Her free hand moves to cover her stomach automatically, feeling the wound throb with her heartbeat. She missed her own funeral, laid up in the hospital under the protective spells cast by Constantine. She’s still not fully healed, but she had been tired of laying around, doing nothing. At the time she’d vaguely wondered where her uniform went, but the haze of painkillers kept her from following that line of thought too much.

“It’s perfect,” she assures him. “I love it. How’d you know?”

He shrugs, pulling his hair from his face. “Thea wanted me to design her a new uniform and sent me a few sketches. The new Black Canary ones were mixed it. She said they were from a brainstorming date a while ago. I wanted it to be a birthday present.”

Laurel’s eyes sting, a lump forms in her throat. Instead of saying words she just whirls around and yanks him into another hug. He clutches at her, fisting the back of her shirt.

Iris takes a step forward, touching her elbow. “Welcome to Team Flash, Laurel.”

She smiles back, wobbly, but there, her cheeks wet with tears. There’s a cake sitting on the desk with the monitors, a couple bottles of wine. It’s a party. For her.

A ‘Welcome to Team Flash’ party, even though she’s the one who asked to crash their city. Even though she’s only really met Cisco, her and Barry never got to interact much, even less so with Caitlin.

But they were still here, with open arms. Cisco, Iris, Barry, Joe, Caitlin, Harry, Linda. All of them.

The air fills with ozone and Barry appears again, dressed in civvies, his mannequin dressed in his suit. He claps his hands together as if dusting off dirt, his expression just screaming self-satisfied.

“Got your things!” he announces. “They’re stacked up in a guest room at Joe’s.”

“No, I can’t,” she protests, turning to the West patriarch. “Thank you, but I can stay in a hotel. I don’t—.” She stops when he raises a hand.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he says. “You’re acting like Cisco did when his apartment flooded. You are more than welcomed at my place, Laurel. I insist.”

She chokes a little on her tears. “I... Thank you.”

He smiles softly. “Don’t mention it.”

* * *

 

It’s been almost nine years since she’s gotten a good night sleep and, really she hasn’t been counting on this being the winner, but when the doorbell rings loud enough to echo all the way upstairs, she still has to grumble in irritation. She’s comfortable and warm, but a one-in-the-morning doorbell is never a good doorbell.

By the time she makes it downstairs Barry’s already answering the door. There’s a pillow and a blanket on the couch, the television’s playing quietly. She wonders if he ever got to sleep. Guilt churns in her stomach at the thought she’s interrupting their lives.

“I fake my death and I move countries to escape the local police,” Roy says. She flinches a little, startled. “You fake your death and move _600 miles_ to escape a _magician_.” He hugs her tightly. She buries her face into his shoulder, clutching at him.

“I think he counts as a sorcerer,” she comments, words muffled by his hoodie. He’s not wearing red for once, his hoodie a dark blue.

“Either way.” He squeezes her a bit. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

She smiles and finally pulls away. “How’d you know I was here?” She frowns. “Why are you here?”

“One, Thea,” Roy answers. “And, two. I missed you. I missed hero-ing, to be honest. I figured with the whole Darkh issue and all that the SCPD wouldn’t be paying too close attention if Arsenal suddenly showed up in Central. Plus, Team Flash is pretty okay with it, right?” He throws that to Barry.

Barry nods. “Open arms and open hearts. With Black Canary and Arsenal coming over I’m pretty sure we won the lottery. The more the merrier.” He’s alluding where he stands, hands shoved into his jean pockets and shoulders curled in. “The other spare room is open. Iris’ too, if you want, she wouldn’t mind. Or you can stay with Laurel.”

Laurel frowns. “Whose room am I in?” She narrows her eyes.

* * *

 

**Queen of the Damned** @fandemonium

Is it just me or has # _BlackCanary_ been missing from the Star City Take Downs? @ **StarCPD** what’s up with that?

10:04 PM – 28 April 2016 – via. Tweetdeck

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Laurel is sleeping in Barrys's old room, which is why Barry's on the couch. Wally's in the guest room.
> 
> Will just be a feel-good story of Laurel being the hero she deserved to be, also eventually developing the Canary Cry. That's not a fun story. But it involved torture of Laurel and Barry muhahahah. The endgame pairings were Iris/Cisco/Laurel, Wallly/Jesse, and Roy/Thea/Barry (my weird crackship that I call the Reds). Sara learns that her sister died in one timeline and that she almost died in this one for the stupidest reason and gets appropriately mad.


End file.
